Ranking and ordering items in stream

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying a plurality of items to be displayed to a user, each item including digital content and being associated with a respective timestamp, receiving a plurality of scores, each score being associated with an item of the plurality of items, determining a subset of items to be displayed to the user based on the plurality of scores, the subset of items including items of the plurality of items, grouping items in the subset of items based on respective timestamps to provide a plurality of item groups, for each item group, determining an order of items based on respective scores, and transmitting instructions to display items to the user based on the plurality of item groups and in the order within each item group.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/357,167, entitled “Ranking And Ordering Items In Stream,” filed Jan.24, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

This specification generally relates to displaying content distributedto users in a social networking service.

Internet-based social networking services provide a digital medium forusers to interact with one another and share information. For examples,users are able to distribute digital content (e.g., textual comments,digital images, digital videos, digital audio, hyperlinks to websites,etc.) to other users that they might be connected with in the socialnetworking service. Digital content that is distributed to a user can bedisplayed to the user in a stream page.

As a user's social network within the social networking serviceincreases, the amount of digital content distributed to the user and theamount of digital content that the user interacts with can significantlyincrease. Consequently, the user's stream page may overwhelm the userwith digital content, which can include digital content that may not berelevant to the user and/or digital content that may be of low quality(e.g., spam).

SUMMARY

In general, innovative aspects of the subject matter described in thisdisclosure may be embodied in methods that include the actions ofidentifying a plurality of items to be displayed to a user, each itemincluding digital content and being associated with a respectivetimestamp, receiving a plurality of scores, each score being associatedwith an item of the plurality of items, determining a subset of items tobe displayed to the user based on the plurality of scores, the subset ofitems including items of the plurality of items, grouping items in thesubset of items based on respective timestamps to provide a plurality ofitem groups, for each item group, determining an order of items based onrespective scores, and transmitting instructions to display items to theuser based on the plurality of item groups and in the order within eachitem group. Other implementations of this aspect include correspondingsystems, apparatus, and computer programs, configured to perform theactions of the methods, encoded on computer storage devices.

These and other implementations may each optionally include one or moreof the following features. For instance, determining the subset of itemsis achieved by: comparing each score of the plurality of scores to athreshold score, and including an item in the subset of items when arespective score of the item is exceeds the threshold score; the orderincludes a descending order based on score; actions further includereceiving a plurality of timestamps, each timestamp including therespective timestamp that is associated with an item of the plurality ofitems; grouping items is achieved by: comparing each timestamp of theplurality of timestamps to a timestamp range associated with the subsetof items, and including an item in the subset of items when a respectivetimestamp of the item is within an item group that is associated withthe timestamp range; each timestamp is determined based on an eventassociated with the respective item; each timestamp corresponds to atime at which a respective item is generated; each score of theplurality of scores is specific to the user; the digital contentincludes digital content distributed using a computer-implemented socialnetworking service; items are displayed to the user in a stream page ofa social networking service; each score is based on at least one of aquality score, a social score and a relevance score; the quality scoreindicates a quality of an associated item; the social score is auser-specific, item-specific score and is determined based on a socialaffinity between the user and an author user of an associated item; therelevance score is a user-specific, item-specific score and indicates arelevance of an associated item to the user; and actions furtherinclude: receiving a plurality of updated scores, each updated scorecorresponding to a score of the plurality of scores, determining anupdated subset of items to be displayed to the user based on theplurality of scores, the updated subset of items comprising items of theplurality of items, grouping items in the subset of items based onrespective, updated timestamps to provide a plurality of updated itemgroups, for each updated item group, determining an order of items basedon respective updated scores, and transmitting instructions to displayitems in the updated subset in place of the subset of items based on theplurality of updated item groups and in the order within each updateditem group.

Implementations of the present disclosure provide one or more of thefollowing example advantages. Implementations increase the relevance ofthe social networking service to the users by more prominentlydisplaying items that might be more relevant to respective users.Implementations promote conversational use of the social networkingservice and help ensure that users do not miss important content.Implementations also enable users to use their time more efficiently byfiltering out low quality content.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matterdescribed in this specification are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other potential features, aspects,and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from thedescription, the drawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example network architecture.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example social network including socialcircles.

FIG. 3 depicts a screen-shot of example graphical user interface forcreating and maintaining social circles.

FIG. 4 depicts a screen-shot of an example stream page for a user of asocial networking service.

FIG. 5 depicts an example system for ranking and bumping items displayedin a stream page.

FIG. 6A depicts example ranking and ordering of example items in astream page for a first user.

FIG. 6B depicts example ranking and ordering of the example items ofFIG. 6A in a stream page for a second user.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example process that can be executed inimplementations of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example process that can be executed inimplementations of the present disclosure.

Like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In general, implementations of the present disclosure are directed todisplaying items in stream pages of users of a social networkingservice. In particular, implementations of the present disclosure aredirected to ranking and ordering items displayed to a user within astream page of the user. The stream page displays digital content thathas been posted by the user to the social networking service and/ordigital content distributed to the user through the social networkingservice. In some examples, each item that is to be displayed in thestream page of a user is associated with an item score and a timestamp.Items are displayed within the stream page of the user based on the itemscores and timestamps. In some examples, items are grouped based ontimestamp. In some examples, items within groups are ranked based onitem score. Items are displayed in the stream page of the user based ongroup and in order within a group based on rank. In this manner, themost relevant, highest quality items are displayed more prominently tothe user.

In some examples, the timestamp for an item is determined based on oneor more events associated with the item. Example events can includeoriginal distribution of the item (e.g., when the item was posted to thesocial networking service), a comment appended to the item (e.g., when auser (either the author of the item or non-author of the item) posts acomment to the item), an endorsement of the item (e.g., when a user(either the author of the item or non-author of the item) indicates thatthey endorse the item), sharing of the item (e.g., when a non-authoruser re-posts, or otherwise redistributes the item within the socialnetworking service).

In some examples, a timestamp for the item can be determined based onweighting applied to events as they occur. For example, an item weightcan be set to an initial value (e.g., 0) when the item is firstdistributed (e.g., when the author generates and distributes the item).The item weight can be incremented based on each event. The degree towhich the item weight is incremented can vary based on event type and/orcharacteristics of the event. For example, a comment to the item canincrement the item weight by a first value and an endorsement of theitem can increment the item weight by a second value. In some examples,the first value can be exceeds the second value, indicating that acomment is considered to be more substantial than an endorsement. Insome examples, the first value can be based on a social affinity(discussed further below) between the author of the item and the userposting the comment to the item. For example, the first value is higherfor a user that has a high social affinity to the author than for a userthat has little, if any, social affinity to the author. The item weightcan be compared to a threshold item weight. When the item weight isexceeds the threshold item weight, the timestamp of the item is set tothe timestamp of the most recent event.

In some implementations, the threshold item weight for a particular itemcan vary over time. In some examples, the threshold item weight cangradually increase over time. In this manner, a timestamp associatedwith the particular item is not updated over and over again to inhibitrecurring bumping of the particular item higher within stream pages inlong conversations (e.g., numerous comments posted to the item). In someexamples, the threshold item weight can be increased on a per-userbasis. For example, for a user that has generated an event associatedwith the item, the threshold item weight can be increased (e.g., basedon a number of items the user has interacted with).

In some examples, each item includes an associated item score on a perrecipient basis. For example, an author user can generate the item andcan distribute the item to a plurality of users of the social networkingservice including a first user and a second user. A first item score canbe associated with the item and can be determined based on a socialaffinity between the first user and the author user, a social affinitybetween the first user and the other users to which the item wasdistributed, a social affinity between the first user and other usersinteracting with the item (e.g., commenting on the item, endorsing theitem, sharing the item), an interaction of the first user with the item(e.g., commenting on the item, endorsing the item, sharing the item),item content and/or quality associated with the author user. A seconditem score can be associated with the item and can be determined basedon a social affinity between the second user and the author user, asocial affinity between the second user and the other users to which theitem was distributed, a social affinity between the second user andother users interacting with the item (e.g., commenting on the item,endorsing the item, sharing the item), an interaction of the second userwith the item (e.g., commenting on the item, endorsing the item, sharingthe item), item content and/or quality associated with the author user.The first score can be different from the second score. Consequently,the item can include an associated timestamp and f associated itemscores, each of the associated items scores being particular to anon-author user.

A social affinity between a particular user of the social networkingservice and other users of the social networking service can bedetermined based on a social graph of the particular user. In someexamples, a social graph can refer to a single social graph or multipleinterconnected social graphs. Distinct social graphs can be generatedfor different types of connections a user has. For example, a user canbe connected with chat contacts in one social graph, email contacts in asecond social graph, and connections (or contacts) from a particularsocial networking service in a third social graph. Each social graph caninclude edges to additional individuals or entities at higher degrees ofseparation from the user. These contacts can in turn have additionalcontacts at another degree of separation from the user. Similarly, auser's connection to someone in a particular social network can then beused to identify additional connections based on that person'sconnections. The distinct social graphs can include edges connecting oneor more social graph to one or more other social graphs.

Types of connections and social graphs can include, but are not limitedto other users in which the user is in direct contact (e.g., user mailor chat contact, direct contacts on social sites) and users in which theuser is in indirect contact (e.g., friends of friends, connections ofusers that have a direct connection to the user). In someimplementations, the social graph includes content generated byindividuals (e.g., blog posts, reviews) as connections to the user. Thesocial graph can include connections within a single network or acrossmultiple networks (separable or integrated). Public social graphrelationships can also be considered. In some examples, publicrelationships can be established through public profiles and/or publicsocial networking services.

A social affinity score can be determined for a connection between auser and another user. The social affinity score can reflect a strengthof a relationship between the users. By way of non-limiting example, afirst user can be connected to a second user and a third user. The firstuser and the second user can be in frequent contact with one another viathe social networking service (e.g., often sharing items with oneanother), email and/or chat. A first social affinity score can beprovided based on the interaction between the first user and the seconduser. The first user and the third user might be infrequently in contactwith one another. For example, the first user might have received anemail from the third user only once in the last several months. A secondsocial affinity score can be provided based on the interaction betweenthe first user and the third user. In this example, the first socialaffinity score is exceeds the second social affinity score, reflecting acloser relationship between the first user and the second user thanbetween the first user and the third user.

For purposes of illustration, an example social networking service willbe described. The example social networking service enables users toorganize contacts into social circles. It is appreciated, however, thatimplementations of the present disclosure can be used in other types ofsocial networking services and are not limited to social networkingservices that include social circles.

In general, social circles are categories to which a user can assigncontacts and better control the distribution and visibility of socialnetworking posts and/or other digital content distributed using thesocial networking service. In some implementations, a social circle canbe provided as a data set defining a collection of contacts that areassociated with one another in a computer-implemented social networkingservice. Generally, a social circle can be described from theperspective of an individual that is the center of a particularcollection of socially interconnected people, or from the aggregateperspective of a collection of socially interconnected people. A socialcircle can have narrowly defined boundaries (e.g., members of the socialcircle might be familiar with one another) and permission may berequired for a member to join a social circle. A user of the socialnetworking service can define a social circle. The social circle, as adata set defining a collection of contacts, may reflect real-life socialconnections and/or interactions of the user. In some implementations, asocial circle can be defined by a user as a personal representation orgrouping of a set of contacts, the contacts may be unaware of the socialcircle and/or unaware of other members of the social circle.

Through the creation and use of social circles, the user can organizeand categorize social networking contacts into various differentgroupings that can be used to control the visibility and access thosecontacts have to the user's postings, digital pictures, videos, audiofiles, hyperlinks (e.g., uniform resource indicators, URIs), and/orother content associated with the user's social networking profile. Asone example, the user can post an update about a work-related nuance toonly a “coworker” circle, and spare other contacts within the socialnetworking service from seeing information that is irrelevant to them.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example network architecture 100. The networkarchitecture 100 includes a number of client devices 102, 104, 106, 108,110 communicably connected to a server system 112 by a network 114. Theserver system 112 includes a processing device 116 and a data store 118.The processing device 116 executes computer instructions (e.g., socialnetwork computer program code, and/or IM computer program code) storedin the data store 118 to perform the functions of a social networkserver and/or IM server.

Users of the client devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 access the serverdevice 112 to participate in a social networking service. For example,the client devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 can execute web browserapplications that can be used to access the social networking serviceand/or an IM service. In another example, the client devices 102, 104,106, 108, 110 can execute software applications that are specific to thesocial networking service and/or the IM service (e.g., social networkingand/or IM “apps” running on smartphones).

Users interacting with the client devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 canparticipate in the social networking service provided by the serversystem 112 by digital content, such as text comments (e.g., updates,announcements, replies), digital images, videos, audio files, and/orother appropriate digital content. In some implementations, informationcan be posted on a user's behalf by systems and/or services external tothe social networking service or the server system 112. For example, theuser may post a review of a movie to a movie review website, and withproper permissions that website may cross-post the review to the socialnetworking service on the user's behalf. In another example, a softwareapplication executing on a mobile device, with proper permissions, mayuse global positioning system (GPS) capabilities to determine the user'slocation and automatically update the social network with his location(e.g., “At Home”, “At Work”, “In Brownsdale, Minn.”). Generally, usersinteracting with the client device 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 can also usethe social networking service provided by the server system 112 todefine social circles to organize and categorize the user'srelationships to other users of the social networking service. Examplesof the creation and use of social circles are provided in thedescription of FIG. 2.

In some implementations, the client devices 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 canbe provided as computing devices such as laptop or desktop computers,smartphones, personal digital assistants, portable media players, tabletcomputers, or other appropriate computing devices that can be used tocommunicate with an electronic social network. In some implementations,the server system 112 can be a single computing device such as acomputer server. In some implementations, the server system 112 canrepresent more than one computing device working together to perform theactions of a server computer (e.g., cloud computing). In someimplementations, the network 114 can be a public communication network(e.g., the Internet, cellular data network, dialup modems over atelephone network) or a private communications network (e.g., privateLAN, leased lines).

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example social network 200 including socialcircles. A user 202 is a member of a social network that supports thecreation and use of social circles (e.g., the social network provided bythe server device 112 of FIG. 1). In the present example, the user 202has a number of contacts 204 a-204 i with which the user 202 can havesome form of relationship (e.g., friends, coworkers, customers,teammates, clients, relatives, club members, classmates). The user 202categorizes the contacts 204 a-204 i by assigning them to one or moresocial circles, such as a social circle 210, a social circle 220, and asocial circle 230. A social circle 240, which has a number of contacts242 a-242 c, is provided as a query-based social circle that can beautomatically generated without input from the user 202. In someimplementations, the social circle 240 can be generated based oninformation gathered from and has some commonality among the user 202and the users 242 a-242 c (e.g., posts, uploaded photos, check-ins,volunteered location information).

The social circle 210 is a personal circle. In some implementations,personal circles are groupings created by and may be known only to theuser 202 (e.g., the contacts 204 a, 204 b may receive no indication thatthey are in the user's 202 personal social circle 210). In someimplementations, personal social circles are groupings created by theuser 202 and may be known to the user 202 as well as the contacts (e.g.,contacts 204 a, 204 b) that are members of the social circle (e.g., thecontacts 204 a, 204 b receive an indication that they have been added tothe personal social circle 210).

In some implementations, personal circles may be used to organize andcategorize the contacts 204 a-204 i in ways that are relevant to theuser 202. In some implementations, the user 202 may use personal socialcircles to organize contacts in order to discretely target which of hiscontacts 204 a-204 i will see certain postings or have access toparticular information. For example, the user 202 may be planning asurprise party for a small group of friends. As such, the user canorganize contacts into “Surprise Party Attendees” and “Surprise PartyHonorees” personal circles. By doing so, the user 202 may better targetselected postings to the friends attending and/or helping to plan thesurprise party (e.g., Surprise Party Attendees), while targetingselected postings to friends that are to be honored at the surpriseparty (e.g., Surprise Party Honorees) to maintain the integrity of thesurprise.

The social circle 220 is a shared private circle, which may also bereferred to simply as a shared circle. In general, shared privatecircles are social circles that the user 202 creates and invitescontacts to voluntarily join. Contacts that accept the invitation becomemembers of the shared private circle. Members of a shared private circlecan see information posted to that circle by the user 202 and can postinformation to be shared with other members of the shared privatecircle. For example, the user 202 may tend to post a large number ofjokes to the social network. However, while some of the contacts 204a-204 i may find the jokes to be entertaining, others may find them tobe simply annoying. Realizing this, the user 202 may create a “jokes”shared private circle and invite some or all of the contacts 204 a-204 ito join. With the “jokes” social circle in place, the user 202 may postwitticisms to the “jokes” circle, and only those contacts who haveaccepted the invitation are able to see the comicality of the user 202.Similarly, members of the shared private circle are able to postmessages to the circle, and those posts are visible to other members ofthat circle.

The social circle 230 is a shared public circle. In general, sharedpublic circles are social circles that the user 202 creates, and invitescontacts to voluntarily join. Further, the existence of a shared publiccircle is publicly available such that other users of the socialnetworking service (e.g., not necessarily just the user's 202 contacts204 a-204 i) may request to join the public social circle. Members ofshared public circles may post information to, and see updates postedby, other members of the same public shared circle. In someimplementations, public shares circles may be “fan” or “group” circles(e.g., circles dedicated to a particular place, event, product, movie,celebrity, sports team, company, concept, philosophy, organization,support network). For example, the user 202 may create a shared publiccircle for his band, and fans of his act may join the circle to discussupcoming shows, download MP3s of the band's music, or post videos fromrecent concerts. In another example, the user 202 may create a sharedpublic circle for alumni of his high school graduating class, which hisformer classmates may find and join in order to stay in touch with oneanother and post pictures from their school days. Once a shared publiccircle is created, in some implementations the user 202 can invitepeople to join the circle. In some implementations, nonmembers of thecircle can request membership in the shared public circle, andmembership in a shared public circle may be automatic upon request, ormay require the user's 202 approval to become members of the sharedpublic circle.

In some implementations, one or more default social circles can beprovided or suggested to a user when the user subscribes to a socialnetworking service. For example, “Friends,” “Family,” and “Coworkers”social circles can automatically be provided in a user's profile uponthe user subscribing to the particular social networking service. Othersocial circles can automatically be provided including, for example, an“Acquaintances” social circle and/or a “Just Following” social circle.In some implementations, the automatically created or suggested socialcircles can include personal social circles. Although default socialcircles can be automatically provided, it may be left to the user toactually populate the default social circles with contacts. For example,each of the default social circles may initially be empty of contacts,and the user populates each of the default social circles as discussedin further detail herein.

As discussed herein, digital content can be distributed to contactswithin the social networking service including one or more socialcircles, such that they are exclusively viewable by the indicatedcontacts and/or contacts within one or more indicated social circles.For example, a user of the social networking service can generate a postand indicate one or more social circles for distribution of the post. Insome implementations, an auto-complete component enables the user totype in part of the name of a social circle and/or individual contact tospecify which social circles and/or individual contacts require deliveryof the post content. During a post write-time, a post data set istransmitted from the user's client computing device (e.g., client device102 of FIG. 1) to a distribution hub, which can be provided at a server(e.g., server system 112 of FIG. 1). The post data set includes aplurality of data. In some implementations, the post data set includespost content data (e.g., text, uniform resource indicator (URI)),timestamp data (e.g., a timestamp indicating the time that the post wasgenerated), distribution data (e.g., contacts and/or one or more socialcircles), and identification (ID) data (e.g., an ID assigned to the postdata set upon generation of the post).

In some implementations, and as discussed in further detail herein,other data can be appended to post data sets. Example other data can bespam indication data and scoring data. In some examples, spam indicationdata can be appended to a post data set to indicate that the post dataset is considered to be spam. In some examples, scoring data can includea social affinity score among other possible scoring data.

In some implementations, the scoring data can be recipient specific. Insome examples, the scoring data can include social affinity data that isprovided based on respective social affinity scores between an author ofthe post and each recipient of the post. For example, a first user canauthor a post and define a distribution of the post, creating anunderlying post data set. The distribution can include a second user anda third user. A first social affinity score associated with a socialrelationship between the first user and the second user can be provided,and a second social affinity score associated with a social relationshipbetween the first user and the third user can be provided. The firstsocial affinity score can be different from the second social affinityscore, reflecting different social relationships between the first userand the second user and the first user and the third user. The firstsocial affinity score and the second social affinity score can beappended to the post data set and/or stored in another location whilemaintaining an association with the post data set.

In some implementations, the distribution data is processed to providean access control list (ACL) that specifies which contacts within thesocial networking system are granted access to the post content. In someimplementations, social affinity scores can also be processed to providethe ACL. For example, the distribution data can indicate that the postcontent is to be accessible by and/or distributed to a particular user.A social affinity score can be determined for the post and can bespecific to a relationship between the post recipient and the author ofthe post. In some examples, if the social affinity score is below athreshold score, it is determined that the post content will not beaccessible by and/or distributed to the particular user. Consequently,although the particular user had been explicitly targeted fordistribution of the post by the author, the particular user is notprovided in the ACL for the post. In some examples, if the socialaffinity score is at or above the threshold score, it is determined thatthe post content will be accessible by and/or distributed to theparticular user. Consequently, the particular user had been explicitlytargeted for distribution of the post by the author and the particularuser is provided in the ACL for the post.

Generally, the distribution hub determines end points the post data setis to be distributed to based on the ACL. More specifically, the set ofcontacts that may care about the post and/or that are allowed access tothe post is determined based on the ACL, and the ID of the post iswritten to a per user/view index at the distribution hub. When fetchingposts to distribute to a user, the user/view index is accessed and theIDs of the various posts that the user is allowed to view aredetermined. The post data sets are retrieved from a data store (e.g.,data store 118 of FIG. 1) and are transmitted to a client deviceassociated with the requesting user. In some implementations, and asdiscussed in further detail herein, the ACL can be provided based on theoverall score, the quality score and/or the social affinity score.

FIG. 3 depicts a screen-shot 300 of an example graphical user interfacefor creating and maintaining social circles. In the screen-shot 300, asocial graph editor user interface (UI) 301 is shown. In someimplementations, the UI 301 can be the interface presented by a purposemade social networking application, while in some implementations the UI301 can be one or more web pages of a social networking websitedisplayed in a general purpose web browser.

In the example of FIG. 3, the UI 301 includes a number of choicespresented in a menu bar 305. In the present example, the “SocialNetwork” choice has been selected by a user. This selection causes aweb-based social networking application to be executed and a socialnetwork menu 310 to be displayed. The social network menu 310 includes aprofile indicator 312 in which information such as a user name 314 and auser image 316 associated with the currently logged in user aredisplayed.

The social network menu 310 also displays, among other items, a socialcircles sub-menu 318. The social circles sub-menu 318, when selected(e.g., as represented by the highlighting of the submenu's title),causes a social circle display 320 to be presented. The social circledisplay 320 includes a number of circles 322 a-322 e that are visualrepresentations of various social circles that the user has created orhas permission to edit. Each of the circles 322 a-322 e displaysinformation about the social circle it represents. For example, thecircle 322 c displays a name 324 a, a count 324 b of the number ofcontacts associated with the social circle, and an indication 324 c ofwhat kind of circle (e.g., personal, private shared, public shared) thatthe circle 322 c is.

The social circle display 320 also includes a contact display 326. Thecontact display 326 provides a graphical interface for viewing,selecting, and organizing items in the user's contact lists. Acollection of contact icons 328 a-328 i represents the contacts or otherentities (e.g., organizations, places, or other items) sociallynetworked with the particular user. In some implementations, the iconscan be digital photos of the contacts they represent (e.g., the icons328 a, 328 d), arbitrary images (e.g., the icons 328 b, 328 g), orplaceholders (e.g., when the contact has no image associated with theiraccount, such as the icon 328 c). In some implementations, the icons caninclude additional information, such as the names of each contact. Ascroll bar 329 is provided for the user to view additional contact iconsthat may not fit into the initial view.

FIG. 4 depicts a screen-shot of an example stream page 400 for a user ofa social networking service. For example, the stream page 400 can beprovided as a web page within a website of a social networking service,and can display digital content that has been shared with a userassociated with the stream page 400. In the illustrated example, theexample user includes “Rob McDavies” and the stream page 400 displaysitems (e.g., digital content) that other users have shared with the userand/or items that the user has shared with other users. The stream page400 includes a social network menu 402 and an item region 404. Exampleitems 406, 408 that have been distributed to the user are displayed inthe item region 404. Generally, the items 406, 408 displayed in the itemregion 404 include digital content that is distributed to the user fromcontacts established within the social networking service. A contentsharing interface 410 can also be provided in the item region 404. Theuser can activate (e.g., click on) the content sharing interface 410 toshare digital content. Although two items 406, 408 are depicted in FIG.4, it is appreciated that the stream page 400 can display any number ofitems to the user.

Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to determiningwhich items and in what order to display to the user within a streampage of the user of the social networking service. As discussed above,each item that is distributed to the user includes an associatedtimestamp and an item score. When the user logs into the socialnetworking service, a user-specific index of items that have beendistributed to the user can be accessed. The index of items indicatesitems that can be displayed to the user within the stream page of theuser. For each item in the index of items, a timestamp and an item scoreare provided. In some examples, the items are filtered based on itemscore, to remove items having scores that are less than a thresholdscore from being displayed to the users. The items are grouped based ontimestamp. For each group, items within the group are put in rank orderbased on item score. The items are displayed to the user by group inascending order of time and by the rank order within each group, asdiscussed in further detail herein.

In some implementations, each group can include an associated timerange. By way of non-limiting example, a first group can includetimestamps more recent than the last 24 hours, a second group caninclude timestamps within the last 1 day to 2 days, a third group caninclude timestamps within the last 2 days to 7 days, and a fourth groupcan include timestamps within the last 7 days to 1 month. It isappreciated that the described groups are merely examples and additionaland/or different groups can be provided.

In some implementations, each item can be grouped based on a differencebetween a current time and the timestamp of the item. In some examples,the current time can include the time at which items are to be retrievedfor display to the user (e.g., when the user logs into the socialnetworking service, when the user clicks on the stream page, when theuser refreshes the stream page, when the stream page is automaticallyrefreshed).

As discussed above, the timestamp for an item can be determined based onweighting applied to events as they occur. For example, an item weightcan be set to an initial value (e.g., 0) when the item is firstdistributed (e.g., when the author generates and distributes the item).The item weight can be modified, e.g., incremented, based on each eventtype. Example event types can include comment (e.g., the author user ora non-author user posts a comment to the item), endorsement (e.g., theauthor user or a non-author user endorses the item) and sharing (e.g.,the author user or a non-author user redistributes or otherwise sharesthe item). For example, a comment to the item can increment the itemweight by a first value and an endorsement of the item can increment theitem weight by a second value. In some examples, the first value can beexceeds the second value, indicating that a comment is considered to bemore substantial than an endorsement. The degree to which the itemweight is incremented can also vary based on one or more characteristicsof the event. An example characteristic can include a social affinitybetween the author user of the item and a non-author user performing theevent. For example, the first value, discussed above, is higher for auser that has a high social affinity to the author user than for a userthat has little, if any, social affinity to the author user.

Upon the occurrence of an event, the item weight is incremented and iscompared to a threshold item weight. When the item weight is exceeds thethreshold item weight, the timestamp of the item is set to the timestampof the most recent event. For example, an item includes a first itemweight that is less than the threshold item weight. A user posts acomment to the item at timestamp t. Consequently, an event of typecomment occurred to the item at timestamp t. The first item weight isincremented to a second item weight. The second item weight is exceedsthe threshold item weight. Consequently, the timestamp of the item isset equal to timestamp t, which is the timestamp of the event thatresulted in the second item weight.

Data associated with the item, including the item weight and thetimestamp, can be stored in an item repository (e.g., a database) andthe data can be periodically updated. In some examples, the data isupdated in response to the occurrence of an event to the item. The dataassociated with the item can be retrieved for ranking and ordering ofthe item within a stream page of a user, as discussed in further detailherein.

As noted above, items that are to be displayed to a user are organizedinto groups. Within each group, the items are put in an order based onitem score. The item score (S) reflects a quality of the item and arelevance of the item to the particular user. In some implementations,the item score (S) is determined based on a quality score (QS), a socialscore (SS) and a relevance score (RS). In some implementations, thequality score is determined based on an author status score (VIP) and acontent score (CS). Each of the scores is discussed in further detailbelow.

In some implementations, the item score is determined as a maximum of afirst value and a second value. In some examples, the first value andthe second value can be determined based on the quality score (QS), thesocial score (SS) and a smoothing function. In some examples, the firstvalue is determined based on applying the smoothing function to SS andmultiplying the result by QS. In some examples, the second value isdetermined based on applying the smoothing function to QS andmultiplying the result by SS. In some examples, the item score isdetermined as a product of the maximum of the first value and the secondvalue and the relevance score (RS). It is appreciated that the itemscore (S) can be determined based on other relationships between thequality score (QS), the social score (SS) and the relevance score (RS).For example, the item score (S) can be provided as the sum of thequality score (QS), the social score (SS) and the relevance score (RS).

The quality score (QS) is determined based on the status score (VIP) andthe content score (CS). In some implementations, the quality score (QS)is determined as the sum of the status score (VIP) and the content score(CS). In some examples, weights are applied to each of the status score(VIP) and the content score (CS). In this manner, respective influencesof the status score (VIP) and the content score (CS) on the qualityscore (QS) can be provided. For example, one or both of the status score(VIP) and the content score (CS) can be weighted such that the contentscore (CS) has a greater influence on the quality score (QS). It isappreciated that the quality score (QS) can be determined based on otherrelationships between the status score (VIP) and the content score (CS).

The status score (VIP) is an author-specific score and is determinedbased on characteristics of the author of the item within the socialnetworking service. The status score can be based on one or more of thenumber of asymmetrical relationships that the author has within thesocial networking service, how often the author distributes items withinthe social networking service, how often other users interact with itemsdistributed by the author (e.g., comment on, endorse, share), and howoften the author interacts with other users of the social networkingservice. For example, a celebrity or a well-known blogger may have astatus score that is greater than status scores of less known users ofthe social networking service.

To illustrate the status score (VIP), and by way of non-limitingexample, a first author distributes a first item and a second authordistributes a second item. The first author is a prolific user of thesocial networking service, receives a significant number of events toitems that the first author distributes and is highly interactive withother users of the social networking service has a lot of followers. Thesecond author rarely distributes items within the social networkingservice, receives little to no events to items that the second authordoes distribute and does not often interact with other users of thesocial networking service. In this example scenario, the status score ofthe first author is higher than the status score of the second author.

The content score (CS) is an item-specific score and is determined basedon interactions of other users with the particular item. In someexamples, the content score is determined based on a number of events tothe item and the type of events. In some examples, negative events canalso be considered in determining the content score. An example negativeevent can include one or more users muting the particular item, suchthat the item is no longer displayed in their respective stream pages.In some examples, the content score can be provided as a sum of a numberof comments to the item, a number of endorsements of the item, a numberof shares of the item and a number of mutes of the item. In someexamples, respective weights can be applied to define an influence thateach of the number of comments to the item, the number of endorsementsof the item, the number of shares of the item and the number of mutes ofthe item has on the value of the content score. In some examples, theamount of content can influence the content score.

The social score (SS) is a user-specific, item-specific score and isdetermined based on a social affinity between the user that may bereceiving the item in a stream page and the author user of the item. Insome implementations, the social score is further determined based onsocial affinities between the user and other users to which the item wasalso distributed and that may have interacted with the item (e.g.,commented on the item, endorsed the item, shared the item). In someexamples, the social score can be provided as a sum of social affinityscores. For example, the social score can be provided as the sum of asocial affinity score reflecting a social affinity of the user and theauthor user and a plurality of social affinity scores reflectingrespective social affinities between the user and other users that haveinteracted with the item. In some examples, one or more weights can beapplied to the respective social affinity scores to define an influencethat each of the social affinity scores has on the social score. In someexamples, the social affinity score between the user and the author usercan be weighted more heavily than the social affinity scores between theuser and other users that have interacted with the item.

To illustrate the social score (SS), and by way of non-limiting example,an author distributes a first item and a second item. The first item isdistributed to a first set of users including a subject user. The seconditem is distributed to a second set of users also including the subjectuser. The subject user is a direct contact of each of the other userswithin the first set of users. The subject user is not a direct contactof any of the other users within the second set of users. A first socialscore is provided for the first item and a second social score isprovided for the second item. The first social score and the secondsocial score are each specific to the subject user. The first socialscore is determined based on a social affinity between the subject userand the author and respective social affinities between the subject userand each of the other users in the first set of users. The second socialscore is determined based on the social affinity between the subjectuser and the author and respective social affinities between the subjectuser and each of the other users in the second set of users. The firstsocial score is greater than the second social score, because thesubject user has higher social affinities to the other users in thefirst set of users than to the other users in the second set of users,the subject user being a direct contact of each of the other users inthe first set of user.

The relevance score (RS) is a user-specific, item-specific score and isdetermined based on a relevance of the particular item to the user. Inthis manner, matching interests between the user and the subject of theitem can be accounted for. In some examples, interests of the user canbe determined explicitly and/or implicitly. In some examples, the usercan explicitly identify interests within the social networking service.For example, the social networking service can provide a tool or serviceto promote discussion on certain topics relevant to the user. The usercan provide topics that they are interested in (e.g., politics, greentechnology, sports) and other users can interact with the user todiscuss each of the user-provided topics. As another example, the user'sinteractions with items distributed by other users within the socialnetworking service can imply topics that the user is interested in. Forexample, the user often comments on, endorses and/or shares items thatrelate to politics, but rarely comments on, endorses or shares itemsthat relate to sports. Consequently, it can be implied that the user isinterested in politics and might not be interested in sports.

In determining the relevance score (RS), a topic of the item can bedetermined. In some examples, the topic of the item can be determinedbased on data underlying the item. For example, the item can include alink to a uniform resource locator (URL). The URL can be accessed anddata provided at the URL can be reviewed to determine whether the URLcorresponds to one or more topics. Using sports as an example topic, theURL can be a link to a sports news service or a sports team website.Consequently, it can be determined that the item relates to sports. Asanother example, the item can include text provided by the author. Thetext can be reviewed to determine whether the text corresponds to aspecific topic. Again using sports as an example topic, the text caninclude “Are we getting together to watch the Stanley Cup finals?”Consequently, it can be determined that the item relates to sports, icehockey in particular.

In some examples, one or more topics determined for the item can becompared to interests of the user. If there is no match between topic(s)and interest(s), the relevance score can be set equal to zero. If thereare one or more matches, the relevance score can be set equal to a valuegreater than zero.

In some implementations, the relevance score can be determined based onthe item contents and URL characteristics. In some examples, a contentfeature vector can be generated and can include a list of terms withcorresponding weights. For example, ice-hockey:0.8; sports:0.4;winter:0.3. In some examples, user preferences can be provided as afeature vector. The numerical value is the probability of userinteracting with an item on a specified topic. For example, a uservector can provide ice-hockey:0.2; tennis:0.6, which indicates that theparticular user is much more likely to interact with items about tennisthan with items about ice-hockey. In some examples, the relevance scoreis determined as a function of cross-product of the two vectors.

FIG. 5 depicts an example system 500 for ranking and ordering itemsdisplayed in a stream page. The example system 500 includes a first user502 interacting with a first computing device 504, a second user 506interacting with a second computing device 508, a first server system510, a second server system 512 and a network 514. The first computingdevice 504, the second computing device 508, the first server system 510and the second server system 512 can communicate with one another overthe network 514.

In some implementations, a social networking service is provided and canbe executed using the first and second server systems 510, 512. In someexamples, the first server system 510 can receive, store and distributeitems posted to the social networking service by users of the socialnetworking service (e.g., the first user 502 and the second user 506).In some examples, the first server system 510 can monitor occurrences ofevents (e.g., item generation/distribution, comments, endorsements,sharing) and can determine which users are to receive the event (e.g.,which users to deliver an item to). The first server system 510 canprovide event data to the second server system. In some examples, thesecond server system 512 provides a scoring service. The scoring servicecan determine the scores discussed herein and can provide the scores tothe first server system 510 for item ranking and ordering.

FIG. 6A depicts example ranking and ordering of example items in astream page for a first user (e.g., the first user 502 of FIG. 5). FIG.6A includes example items 600, 602, 604, 606, 608, 610. Each item 600,602, 604, 606, 608, 610 includes digital content data (P₁, P₂, P₃, P₄,P₅, P₆, respectively), item score (S_(1A), S_(2A), S_(3A), S_(4A),S_(5A), S_(6A), respectively) and timestamp (t₁, t₂, t₃, t₄, t₅, t₆,respectively). The item scores are specific to the first user (e.g.,User A). The item information can be provided in an index of items thatis specific to the first user. In some examples, the timestamps aredynamic in that each timestamp can change based on events associatedwith the item over time, as discussed herein. In some examples, the itemscores are dynamic in that each item score can change based on eventsand social relationships between the first user and other users (e.g.,item author users) over time, as discussed herein. In someimplementations, current item score and timestamp data are retrieved inresponse to a request to display items to the user (e.g., when the userlogs into the social networking service, when the user clicks on thestream page, when the user refreshes the stream page, when the streampage is automatically refreshed). In some implementations, the itemscore and timestamp data are periodically updated. In someimplementations, data stored in the index of items is automaticallyupdated when a timestamp and/or an item score changes.

With continued reference to FIG. 6A, an initial collection of items 620is provided. The initial collection of items 620 includes all items 600,602, 604, 606, 608, 610. In some implementations, the items are filteredto provide filtered items 622. In some examples, the items can befiltered based on whether an item is considered to be undesirable. Forexample, each item can include data indicating whether the item isdeemed to be spam. If a particular item is deemed to be spam, it can befiltered from being displayed to the first user. In some examples, anitem can be deemed to be spam if the item is distributed to a number ofusers that exceeds a threshold number of users. In some examples, anitem can be deemed to be spam if the item is distributed to a number ofusers that exceeds a threshold number of users and a social affinityscore between the first user and the author of the item is below athreshold social affinity score (e.g., the author distributed the itemto a large number of users and the first user has little, if any, socialaffinity to the author). In some examples, the items can be filteredbased on item score. For example, each item score can be compared to athreshold item score and any items having an item score that is lessthan the threshold item score is filtered. In the example of FIG. 6A,the item 606 is filtered. Consequently, the filtered items include items600, 602, 604, 608, 610.

The filtered items 622 are grouped based on timestamp to provide groupeditems 624. In the depicted example, the grouped items include a firstitem group 626 and a second item group 628. By way of non-limitingexample, the first item group 626 can include items having timestampswithin the last 24 hours and the second item group 628 can include itemshaving timestamps within the last 1 to 2 days. Continuing with thisexample, items 602, 604, 608 are provided in the first item group 626.Consequently, timestamps t₂, t₃, t₅ fall within the last 24 hours, wheret₂ is more recent than t₃ which is more recent than t₅. Items 600, 610are provided in the second item group 628. Consequently, timestamps t₁,t₆ fall within the last 1-2 days, where t₁ is more recent than t₆.

The grouped items 652 are ranked based on item score within the groupsto provide ranked items 630. In the depicted example, S_(5A) is greaterthan S_(3A) which is greater than S_(2A). Consequently, item 608 isranked higher than item 604 and item 604 is ranked higher than item 602even though t₂ is more recent than t₃ which is more recent than t₅. Inthe depicted example, S_(6A) is greater than S_(1A). Consequently, item610 is ranked higher than item 600 even though t₁ is more recent thant₆. Accordingly, when the first user accesses the stream page the itemswill be displayed in the following order from top to bottom: item 608,item 604, item 602, item 610 and item 600. This order is specific to thefirst user, as illustrated further below.

FIG. 6B depicts example ranking and ordering of the example items ofFIG. 6A in a stream page for a second user (e.g., the second user 506 ofFIG. 5). FIG. 6B includes the example items 600′, 602′, 604′, 606′,608′, 610′ of FIG. 6A. Each item 600′, 602′, 604′, 606′, 608′, 610′includes the digital content data (P₁, P₂, P₃, P₄, P₅, P₆,respectively), item score (S_(1B), S_(2B), S_(3B), S_(4B), S_(SB),S_(6B), respectively) and timestamp (t₁, t₂, t₃, t₄, t₅, t₆,respectively). The item scores are specific to the second user (e.g.,User B). The item information can be provided in an index of items thatis specific to the second user. In some examples, the timestamps aredynamic in that each timestamp can change based on events associatedwith the item over time, as discussed herein. In some examples, the itemscores are dynamic in that each item score can change based on eventsand social relationships between the second user and other users (e.g.,item author users) over time, as discussed herein. In someimplementations, current item score and timestamp data are retrieved inresponse to a request to display items to the second user (e.g., whenthe user logs into the social networking service, when the user clickson the stream page, when the user refreshes the stream page, when thestream page is automatically refreshed). In some implementations, theitem score and timestamp data are periodically updated. In someimplementations, data stored in the index of items is automaticallyupdated when a timestamp and/or an item score changes.

With continued reference to FIG. 6B, an initial collection of items 650is provided. The initial collection of items 650 includes all items600′, 602′, 604′, 606′, 608′, 610′. Accordingly, the initial collectionof items 650 for the second user corresponds to the initial collectionof items 630 of the first used. This can occur, for example, if authorsof the items distribute the items to both the first user and the seconduser. In some implementations, the items are filtered to providefiltered items 652, as discussed above. In the example of FIG. 6B, theitem 604 is filtered. Consequently, the filtered items include items600′, 602′, 606′, 608′, 610′.

The filtered items 652 are grouped based on timestamp to provide groupeditems 654. In the depicted example, the grouped items include a firstitem group 656 and a second item group 658. By way of non-limitingexample, the first item group 656 can include items having timestampswithin the last 24 hours and the second item group 658 can include itemshaving timestamps within the last 1 to 2 days. Continuing with thisexample, items 602′, 608′ are provided in the first item group 656.Consequently, timestamps t₂, t₅ fall within the last 24 hours, where t₂is more recent than t₅. Items 600′, 606′, 610′ are provided in thesecond item group 658. Consequently, timestamps t₁, t₄, t₆ fall withinthe last 1-2 days, where t₁ is more recent than t₄ which is more recentthan t₆.

The grouped items 654 are ranked based on item score within the groupsto provide ranked items 660. In the depicted example, S_(5B) is greaterthan S_(2B). Consequently, item 608′ is ranked higher than item 602′even though t₂ is more recent than t₅. In the depicted example, S_(6B)is greater than S_(1B) which is greater than S_(4B). Consequently, item610′ is ranked higher than item 600′ and item 606′ even though t₁ ismore recent than t₆ and t₄ is more recent than t₆. Accordingly, when thesecond user accesses the stream page the items will be displayed in thefollowing order from top to bottom: item 608, item 602, item 610, item600 and item 606. This order is specific to the second user, asillustrated by comparing the order provided for the first user above.

In some implementations, dynamic ranking and ordering of items displayedto a user can be provided. Generally, timestamps and/or item scores canbe updated in real-time (e.g., without user intervention) to dynamicallyupdate the groups and order within groups. In this manner, eventsoccurring to items and/or author users, for example, can be dynamicallyconsidered and the ranking and ordering of items can be updated inreal-time.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example process 700 that can be executed inimplementations of the present disclosure. In some implementations, theexample process 700 can include operations that are performed using oneor more computer programs executed using one or more data processingapparatus (e.g., one or more client-side computing devices and/or one ormore server-side computing devices). The example process 700 can be usedfor updating a timestamp of an item.

It is determined whether an item is posted (702). For example, an authoruser of a social networking service can generate an item and can postthe item to the social networking service, as discussed herein. The itemcan be distributed to one or more users of the social networkingservice. If an item is posted, an item timestamp (ts_(ITEM)) is setequal to the timestamp at which the item was posted to the socialnetworking service (ts_(POST)) (704). An item weight (w_(ITEM)) of theitem is set equal to zero (706).

It is determined whether an event associated with the item is received(708). As discussed above, example events can include a comment to theitem, an endorsement of the item and sharing of the item. If an event isnot received, the process 700 loops back. If an event is received,w_(ITEM) is incremented based on the event (710). For example, and asdiscussed above, w_(ITEM) can be incremented based on event type and/orcharacteristics of the event. It is determined whether w_(ITEM) exceedsa threshold item weight (w_(THR)) (712). If w_(ITEM) exceeds w_(THR),ts_(ITEM) is set equal to the timestamp of the last event (ts_(EVENT))(e.g., the event that resulted in incrementing w_(ITEM)) (716), and theprocess 700 loops back to reset w_(ITEM) back to zero (706).

If w_(ITEM) does not exceed w_(THR), it can be determined whether atimed out condition has occurred. In some examples, events associatedwith the item and updating of ts_(ITEM) is only performed for athreshold time (e.g., 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year)from the occurrence of the last ts_(ITEM) update. In such examples, atimestamp difference (Δts) can be determined as a difference between acurrent time and ts_(ITEM). It can be determined whether Δts exceeds athreshold time (t_(THR)) (714). If Δts exceeds t_(THR), the exampleprocess 700 ends. If Δts does not exceed t_(THR), the example process700 loops back.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example process 800 that can be executed inimplementations of the present disclosure. In some implementations, theexample process 800 can include operations that are performed using oneor more computer programs executed using one or more data processingapparatus (e.g., one or more client-side computing devices and/or one ormore server-side computing devices). The example process 800 can beexecuted to order and rank items that are to be displayed to a user in astream page.

One or more items (item₁, . . . , item_(n)) that are visible to user areidentified (802). For example, each item is generated and posted to thesocial networking service by an author and includes a distribution thatincludes the user. Consequently, each item is accessible, or otherwisevisible to the user, such that each item can be displayed in a streampage of the user. In some examples, the items are identified in responseto the user logging into the social networking service and/or a userrequest to display items in the stream page of the user. Respectivetimestamps (ts) and item scores (S) are received for the items (804). Insome examples, the timestamp and item score data is received from anitem repository (e.g., database).

A counter j is set equal to 1 (806). It is determined whether an itemscore (S_(j)) is less than a threshold item score (S_(THR)) (808). Theitem score S_(j) is the item score associated with item_(j) of the itemsitem₁, . . . , item_(n). If S_(j) is less than S_(THR), it is determinedwhether j is equal to n (e.g., whether the item scores for each ofitem₁, . . . , item_(n) have been considered) (810). If S_(j) is notless than S_(THR), item_(j) is added to a list of items that are too bedisplayed to the user (812). In this manner, items having an item scorethat is less than S_(THR) (e.g., items that are considered to be spam)are filtered from being displayed to the user. If j is not equal to n, jis incremented (814) and the process 800 loops back to compare the nextitem score to S_(THR). If j is equal to n, the list of items that are tobe displayed to the user is complete.

Items in the list of items that are to be displayed to the user aregrouped based on the respective timestamps (816). Items within eachgroup are ranked based on the respective item scores (818). The itemsare displayed to the user in the stream page and are ranked and orderedin the display (820), and the process 800 ends.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it willbe understood that various modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the disclosure. For example, various formsof the flows shown above may be used, with steps re-ordered, added, orremoved. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of thefollowing claims.

Implementations of the present disclosure and all of the functionaloperations provided herein can be realized in digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including thestructures disclosed in this specification and their structuralequivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Implementationsof the invention can be realized as one or more computer programproducts, e.g., one or more modules of computer program instructionsencoded on a computer readable medium for execution by, or to controlthe operation of, data processing apparatus. The computer readablemedium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readablestorage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting amachine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more ofthem. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus,devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example aprogrammable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers.The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates anexecution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., codethat constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, or a combination of one or moreof them.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, script, or code) can be written in any form of programminglanguage, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can bedeployed in any form, including as a stand alone program or as a module,component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computingenvironment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to afile in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a filethat holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in amarkup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program inquestion, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store oneor more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer programcan be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computersthat are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this disclose can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer datato, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computerneed not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded inanother device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant(PDA), a mobile audio player, a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver, to name just a few. Computer readable media suitable forstoring computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of examplesemiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memorydevices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks;magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor andthe memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purposelogic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, implementations of the inventioncan be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT(cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, fordisplaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device,e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to thecomputer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interactionwith a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can beany form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback,or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in anyform, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

Implementations of the invention can be realized in a computing systemthat includes a back end component, e.g., as a data server, or thatincludes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or thatincludes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having agraphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user caninteract with an implementation of the invention, or any combination ofone or more such back end, middleware, or front end components. Thecomponents of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium ofdigital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples ofcommunication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a widearea network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

While this disclosure contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what maybe claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific toparticular implementations of the disclosure. Certain features that aredescribed in this disclosure in the context of separate implementationscan also be provided in combination in a single implementation.Conversely, various features that are described in the context of asingle implementation can also be provided in multiple implementationsseparately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, althoughfeatures may be described above as acting in certain combinations andeven initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimedcombination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and theclaimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation ofa subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the implementations described above should not beunderstood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and itshould be understood that the described program components and systemscan generally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

Thus, particular implementations of the present disclosure have beendescribed. Other implementations are within the scope of the followingclaims. For example, the actions recited in the claims can be performedin a different order and still achieve desirable results.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a computing device; and acomputer-readable medium coupled to the computing device and havinginstructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computingdevice, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:grouping items of digital content in a subset of items based onrespective distribution times associated with each item to provide aplurality of item groups, the plurality of item groups comprising afirst item group comprising items having respective distribution timeswithin a first distribution time range, and a second item groupcomprising items having respective distribution times within a seconddistribution time range, the second distribution time range beingdifferent from the first distribution time range; for each item group,determining an order of items based on respective scores associated witheach item, the first item group including a first order based onrespective scores of items in the first group, and the second item groupincluding a second order based on respective scores of items in thesecond group; and transmitting instructions to display a combination ofitems of the first item group and items of the second item group basedon the first order and the second order, and where items of the firstitem group are displayed ahead of items in the second item group basedon the first distribution time range and the second distribution timerange.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the order comprises adescending order based on score.
 3. The system of claim 1, whereinoperations further comprise receiving a plurality of distribution times,each distribution time including the respective distribution time thatis associated with an item of the plurality of items.
 4. The system ofclaim 3, wherein grouping items is achieved by: comparing eachdistribution time of the plurality of distribution times to andistribution time range associated with the subset of items; andincluding an item in the subset of items when a respective distributiontime of the item is within an item group that is associated with thedistribution time range.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein eachdistribution time is determined based on a date and time that therespective item was made public.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein eachof the respective scores is specific to a user.
 7. The system of claim1, wherein each score is based on at least one of a quality score and arelevance score.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the quality scoreindicates a quality of an associated item.
 9. The system of claim 7,wherein the relevance score is a user-specific, item-specific score andindicates a relevance of an associated item to the user. 10.Non-transitory computer storage media encoded with one or more computerprograms, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions thatwhen executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processingapparatus to perform operations comprising: grouping items of digitalcontent in a subset of items based on respective distribution timesassociated with each item to provide a plurality of item groups, theplurality of item groups comprising a first item group comprising itemshaving respective distribution times within a first distribution timerange, and a second item group comprising items having respectivedistribution times within a second distribution time range, the seconddistribution time range being different from the first distribution timerange; for each item group, determining an order of items based onrespective scores associated with each item, the first item groupincluding a first order based on respective scores of items in the firstgroup, and the second item group including a second order based onrespective scores of items in the second group; and transmittinginstructions to display a combination of items of the first item groupand items of the second item group based on the first order and thesecond order, and where items of the first item group are displayedahead of items in the second item group based on the first distributiontime range and the second distribution time range.
 11. The medium ofclaim 10, wherein the order comprises a descending order based on score.12. The medium of claim 10, wherein operations further comprisereceiving a plurality of distribution times, each distribution timeincluding the respective distribution time that is associated with anitem of the plurality of items.
 13. The medium of claim 12, whereingrouping items is achieved by: comparing each distribution time of theplurality of distribution times to an distribution time range associatedwith the subset of items; and including an item in the subset of itemswhen a respective distribution time of the item is within an item groupthat is associated with the distribution time range.
 14. The medium ofclaim 10, wherein each distribution time is determined based on a dateand time that the respective item was made public.
 15. The medium ofclaim 10, wherein each of the respective scores is specific to a user.16. A computer-implemented method that is executed using one or moreprocessors, the method comprising: grouping, by the one or moreprocessors, items of digital content in a subset of items based onrespective distribution times associated with each item to provide aplurality of item groups, the plurality of item groups comprising afirst item group comprising items having respective distribution timeswithin a first distribution time range, and a second item groupcomprising items having respective distribution times within a seconddistribution time range, the second distribution time range beingdifferent from the first distribution time range; for each item group,determining, by the one or more processors, an order of items based onrespective scores associated with each item, the first item groupincluding a first order based on respective scores of items in the firstgroup, and the second item group including a second order based onrespective scores of items in the second group; and transmitting, by theone or more processors, instructions to display a combination of itemsof the first item group and items of the second item group based on thefirst order and the second order, and where items of the first itemgroup are displayed ahead of items in the second item group based on thefirst distribution time range and the second distribution time range.17. The method of claim 16, wherein operations further comprisereceiving a plurality of distribution times, each distribution timeincluding the respective distribution time that is associated with anitem of the plurality of items.
 18. The method of claim 17, whereingrouping items is achieved by: comparing each distribution time of theplurality of distribution times to an distribution time range associatedwith the subset of items; and including an item in the subset of itemswhen a respective distribution time of the item is within an item groupthat is associated with the distribution time range.
 19. The method ofclaim 16, wherein each distribution time is determined based on a dateand time that the respective item was made public.
 20. The method ofclaim 16, wherein each of the respective scores is specific to a user.